Wall panel with corner connector block

Abstract

A wall panel includes hollow connector blocks in its lower corners, reinforced with anchor pins embedded in cementitious material of the panel. The connector blocks have holes for connecting adjacent wall panels together and for connecting the wall panels to the floor. Connectors are inserted via exposed apertures in the connector blocks that provide access to their hollow interiors. The apertures can be covered when the panels are fastened in place.

1 . A wall panel defined, when oriented as a section of a wall, by a proximal face and a distal face that are connected to two side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge, the wall panel comprising:
 a volume of cementitious material proximal to one of the side edges;   a volume of cementitious material proximal to the bottom edge;   a hollow connector block in a corner defined by said one of the side edges, the bottom edge and the proximal face, wherein walls of the connector block at said one of the side edges and the bottom edge each define a hole, and an open face of the connector block defines an aperture in the proximal face of the wall panel; and   two anchor pins each connected to and projecting from another different wall of the connector block into a different one of the volumes of cementitious material.   
     
     
         2 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein each anchor pin has a head with a diameter that is larger than a diameter of a shank of the anchor pin, each head being distal from the connector block. 
     
     
         3 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the anchor pins are hex bolts that are screwed into further, threaded holes in the connector block. 
     
     
         4 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the anchor pins are threaded bars that are screwed into further, threaded holes in the connector block. 
     
     
         5 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the anchor pins are welded to the connector block. 
     
     
         6 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein a further open face of the connector block is inside the wall panel. 
     
     
         7 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the connector block is a length of hollow structural steel with a rounded-corner square cross-section. 
     
     
         8 . The wall panel of  claim 7 , wherein the length of the hollow structural steel is equal to a side of the square cross-section. 
     
     
         9 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the connector block and anchor pins are cast in place in the volumes of cementitious material. 
     
     
         10 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the volumes of cementitious material are contiguous. 
     
     
         11 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the hole in the wall of the connector block at the bottom edge is slotted. 
     
     
         12 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , wherein the connector block comprises a ledge on an interior wall of the connector block. 
     
     
         13 . The wall panel of  claim 12 , comprising a plate that is dimensioned to sit on the ledge and fill the aperture. 
     
     
         14 . The wall panel of  claim 1 , comprising:
 another volume of cementitious material proximal to the other side edge;   another hollow connector block in a corner defined by the other side edge, the bottom edge and the proximal face, wherein walls of the other connector block at the other side edge and the bottom edge each define another hole, and an open face of the other connector block defines another aperture in the proximal face of the wall panel; and   two further anchor pins each connected to and projecting from another different wall of the other connector block into a different one of the volumes of cementitious material proximal to the bottom edge and the other side edge.   
     
     
         15 . A method of erecting a wall comprising:
 providing two wall panels, each defined, when oriented as a section of a wall, by a proximal face and a distal face that are connected to two side edges, a top edge and a bottom edge, each wall panel comprising:
 a volume of cementitious material proximal to one of the side edges; 
 a volume of cementitious material proximal to the bottom edge; 
 a hollow connector block in a corner defined by said one of the side edges, the bottom edge and the proximal face, wherein walls of the connector block at said one of the side edges and the bottom edge define a side hole and a bottom hole respectively, and an open face of the connector block defines an aperture in the proximal face; and 
 two anchor pins each connected to and projecting from another different wall of the connector block into a different one of said volumes of cementitious material; 
 wherein, in one of the wall panels said one of the side edges is a right edge and in the other of the wall panels said one of the side edges is a left edge; 
   attaching a first of the wall panels to a floor using a connector that passes through the bottom hole in the first wall panel;   placing the second wall panel on the floor so that the side edges with the connector blocks face each other and a second connector can be passed through the side holes;   tightening the second connector to draw the second wall panel to the first wall panel; and   attaching the second wall panel to the floor using a third connector that passes through the bottom hole in the second wall panel.   
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 15  comprising:
 placing a seal between the wall panels before tightening the second connector. 
 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 15  comprising:
 covering the apertures in the connector blocks with plates.